Fatigue and sleep disturbance in multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Sleep Medicine
• Neuroimmunology

Background:

• Sleep disturbances and fatigue are common in multiple sclerosis (MS).
• The relationship between objective/subjective sleep measures and fatigue in MS requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sleep disturbances in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with and without fatigue using objective and subjective measures.
• To determine if sleep fragmentation correlates with fatigue severity in MS.

Main Methods:

• Included 27 MS patients with fatigue, 10 MS patients without fatigue, and 13 controls.
• Utilized the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
• Performed objective sleep monitoring to assess sleep macro- and microstructure.

Main Results:

• PSQI scores differed significantly between MS patient groups and controls.
• BDI scores were higher in fatigued MS patients compared to non-fatigued patients.
• Objective sleep measures showed significant differences in time in bed, sleep efficiency, sleep continuity, wake time after sleep onset, and arousal indices between groups.

Conclusions:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with fragmented sleep, affecting both macro- and micro-architecture.
• Fatigue in MS may be partly explained by disrupted sleep microstructure, poor subjective sleep quality, and depression.